Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki Rallies Support for Coffee Sector

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Eng. Jonard Asiimwe Akiiki, has called on the people of Ntungamo District to embrace innovation and invest in commercial coffee growing as a pathway to improving household incomes and driving economic transformation.

The minister, who also serves as the NRM Vice Chairperson for Western Uganda, made the remarks on Friday during a visit to Africa Coffee Park in Rwashamaire Town Council, Kajara County.

Hon. Jonard and officials from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation began their tour at the Inspire Africa site on the shores of Lake Nyabihoko, where they inspected the fertilizer manufacturing plant, coffee demonstration farms, and dairy project. The team later visited the Kahengye Water Project at the Ntungamo–Rukungiri border, which will supply water to the coffee park, before concluding the tour at the Africa Coffee Park processing facility.

Addressing residents and stakeholders gathered at the factory, the minister encouraged communities to take advantage of the growing investment in Rwashamaire by establishing income-generating enterprises such as hotels, shops, and other businesses to serve the increasing number of visitors.

He also urged farmers to prioritize coffee production and maintain high quality standards, noting that global demand and prices for coffee are expected to continue rising, making it one of Uganda’s most valuable export commodities.

The minister further appealed to residents to fully utilize government wealth creation programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga, by investing their limited land in profitable enterprises rather than growing many low-value crops.

The Chief Executive Officer of Africa Coffee Park, Dr. Nelson Tugume, urged residents to focus on the opportunities created by the factory instead of speculating about its ownership.

Dr. Tugume said the factory has introduced high-quality fertilizers imported from the Netherlands, which are expected to increase coffee productivity from an average of three kilograms to between seven and eight kilograms per coffee tree. He added that value addition through local processing is expected to raise coffee prices to more than UGX 20,000 per kilogram, significantly increasing farmers’ earnings.

He commended President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for supporting the establishment of Africa Coffee Park and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to providing farmers with quality agricultural inputs and other support services.

Members of Parliament from Ntungamo District, including Hon. James Hunter Tukahirwa Byenjeru (Kajara County) and Hon. Moses Kahima Mugabe (Ruhaama East Constituency), pledged continued support for the coffee park, describing it as a transformative investment that is creating employment opportunities and improving infrastructure in the district.

The legislators noted that besides creating jobs, the project will improve access to electricity and extend piped water from the Kahengye Water Project to surrounding communities.

Africa Coffee Park was established to promote value addition in Uganda’s coffee sector. The facility processes coffee grown in the surrounding areas into a range of finished products for both the domestic and international markets. Coffee remains Uganda’s leading agricultural export and a major contributor to the country’s foreign exchange earnings.